Bath seat

ABSTRACT

A portion of the seat for a separate draining, sponging or rinsing bath is perforated and hinged at the back for tilting upwardly for: (1) free exposure to the bidet spray, (2) provision of a bowl, and (3) access to the plumbing. The front edge of the seat portion curves downwardly to provide a front skirt partially closing a frontal overflow opening for the bowl. A separate drain outlet for the seat constitutes an overflow for the bath. When the seat portion is tilted upwardly the remaining seat exposes the bather directly to the bidet spray, or the bather has access to a bowl beneath.

1 1 Aug. 26, 1975 United States Patent 11 1 Jarosinski 3.711.872 1/1973 Jarosinski 4/7 X 1 1 BATH SEAT Pendergast......

Inventor: Louis Jarosinski. Rt. 1. Kuukauna.

Wis. 54130 B26331 Pcntlcrgast.............

I Filed: June 13, 1974 Primary lzl\'umim'rHenry K. Artis Anornqv, Agwzl, or 1-1'rmAndrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall I21] App]. No.: 478,853

[5 7] ABSTRACT A portion of the seat for a separate drainin or rinsing bath is perforated and hin for tilting upwardl [52] US. 1. 4/7: 4/6; 4/146 [51] Int. A47k 3/22; A47k 11/08 spon gin g [58] Field of Search..............v 4/6. 7. 146, 145

ged at the back y for: (1) free exposure to the bidet 2) provision of a bowl, and (3) access to the portion curves partially closing a spray,

plumbing. The front edge of the seat downwardly to provide a front skirt frontal overflow opening for the [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS w a m m a .0 f um mS h 0 m A MM L w w 0 b /7 drain outlet for the seat constitutes an over 4/7 bath. When the seat portion is tilted upwardly the remaining seat exposes the bather direct] 4/6 spray, or the bather has access to a ho 4/6 X 4 3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures NTED AUBZ 61975 SHEET 1 OF 3 PMENTED AUG 2 6 I975 SHEET 3 0 3 BATH SEAT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a bath seat which may be incorporated in a bathtub or a shower construction and which when a portion of the seat is raised exposes a bidet with a spray head below the seat.

Many different constructions have been employed heretofore for sitz bathing. Some discharge the water from the sitz bath directly into the bathtub or shower where it passes out through the regular drain. Others employ fixed seat and pan constructions which are difficult to manufacture and generally prevent adequate access to the plumbing for repair and maintenance purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In carrying out the present invention, the upper seat portion of the construction is pivoted at the back for tilting upwardly out of the way for ready access to the pan and plumbing beneath for adequate cleaning and maintenance. The pan is usable as a bowl and has a front overflow opening therein. The remaining seat is employed to provide exposure of the bather to the bidet spray.

The front of the seat portion has a downwardly extending flange or skirt which serves as a cover for the front overflow opening of the bowl.

The drain for the sitz bath spray is near the front of the pan just behind the skirt, and may provide an overflow for the tub. A stopper can be employed for the drain when using the pan as a bowl.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention which constitute the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the bath seat of the invention incorporated in a shower, with parts of the shower wall broken away for better illustration;

FIG. 2 is a vertical central section from front to back of the seat of FIG. 1 with adjacent structure;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the seat;

FIG. 4 is a detail section of the seat pivot;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bathtub having the seat of the invention incorporated therein;

FIG. 6 is a vertical central longitudinal section of the tub of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the seat with the upper seat portion raised;

FIG. 8 is a detail view showing an alternative hinge construction for the seat portion;

FIG. 9 is a detail view taken at right angles to FIG.

FIG. 10 is a detail section taken on line l0l0 of FIG. 9'. and

FIG. 11 is a detail view showing the clamp member turned at right angles from the position shown in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the shower illustrated is rectangular with the customary walls 1 on three sides and with the front opening closablc by suitable curtain or panel means, not shown.

The floor 2 of the shower comprises the customary tiled drain pan with a drain opening 3 connecting with a drain pipe 4.

In one of the back corners of the shower a bath seat having a generally horizontal seat portion disposed diagonally across the corner with a front skirt 6 extending down to and sealed with floor 2.

The seat has an elongated opening 7 in the top with.

a forward slot 8 extending downwardly in skirt 6 to the level of an edge 9.

The opening 7 is bounded by a tiltable and removable generally perforated seat ring or portion 10 resting in a recess surrounding seat 5 with a forward extension complementary to slot 8 and having a downward extension 11 terminating above the edge 9 to provide the overflow opening 12.

The seat portion 10 may be of the general construction of a toilet seat ring, the ring illustrated being hinged across the back by a straight cylindrical edge portion 13 lying in a corresponding upwardly facing semi-circular recess 14 in seat 5 and which may be drained by grooves extending forwardly therefrom as shown.

The rear edge portion 13 of seat portion 10 has a pair of laterally spaced projections 15 extending rearwardly I beneath seat 5 and adapted to interlock in corresponding recesses 16 disposed to receive the same when the seat is down.

A pan or bowl 17 is disposed beneath seat 5 with its side and back walls depending therefrom and its front edge wall constituting a portion of skirt l1 beneath overflow opening 12 to provide a spray chamber beneath the seat.

Pan 17 drains through drain opening 18 behind and below opening 12 and which is suitably connected with drain pipe 4.

A spray head 19 is disposed centrally of opening 7 beneath seat 5 to massage, heat, clean or otherwise treat body portions of a person seated upon seat 5 when portion 10 is raised, and exposed through opening 7. Suitable water supply connections 20 are provided for spray head 19, with a control valve 21 in a wall 1 of the shower.

The spray of head 19 is completely confined within the pan or bowl 17 of seat 5.

The seat portion 10 can be readily removed by tilting it to its vertical position, thus releasing projections 15 from recesses 16, and then lifting it vertically away from seat 5, to provide ready access to the plumbing and drain, and for use and cleaning of pan or bowl 17.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the same general scat construction is incorporated at one end of the customary bathtub.

For this purpose a stopper controlled drain 22 of tub 23 may be disposed at either end of the tub, but is shown at the opposite end from the usual filling spout 24.

The seat 25 is disposed in the end portion adjacent drain 22 and has an opening 26 in its top corresponding to opening 7.

The pan or bowl 27 beneath seat 25 has a stopper controlled drain 28 connected to the same drain pipe 29 as drain 22 leads to.

In this construction the overflow opening 30 is located at a suitable height in tub 23 as provided by skirt extension 31 of the seat ring portion 32 so as to constitute the overflow for tub 23 as well as for bowl 27.

Seat ring portion 32 is otherwise similar to seat ring portion and has the same general opening therein and the same hinge construction 33 for tilting.

The spray head 34 may be the same as spray head 19 and is controlled similarly.

In both embodiments the seat portions 10 and 32, re spectively, are adapted to rest in angular recesses 35 in the edge portions of the corresponding openings 7 and 26.

An alternative construction for the hinge of seat portions 10 and 32 is shown in FIGS. 8 to 11.

In this alternative construction the hinge bracket 36 which receives the pin 37 of seat portion 32 is removably fastened to seat by clamping means 38.

The clamping means 38 comprises a threaded stem 39 extending downwardly from bracket 36 through a slotted opening 40 in seat 25, and a wing nut 41 threaded upon the lower end of stem 39 and of dimensions generally permitting nut 41 to pass through slotted opening 40 when turned to align with the slot thereof, and to effect a clamping action upon seat 25 when turned at right angles to the slot and tightened by appropriate threading action either of the nut or the bracket.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A bath seat adapted to be incorporated in a shower or tub bath construction, and comprising a generally horizontal sitz bath seat having a central opening therein and a slot extending forwardly from said opening, a front skirt extending downwardly from said seat portion to the floor of the bath with a central slot registering with said first named slot and extending downwardly to provide an overflow at its lower edge, a displaceable perforate seat portion generally covering the opening in said seat and having a forwardly extending closure member for the slots in said seat and said skirt and with the lower edge of said closure member spaced from the lower edge of said skirt slot to provide said overflow, a pan beneath said seat portion and generally sealed therewith to provide a bowl and spray chamber below the seat with said skirt constituting the front wall of the bowl, a spray head in said spray chamber, and stopper controlled separate drain openings for said spray chamber and the bath connected to a common drain.

2. The construction of claim 1 in which said seat portion is removable to provide access to said spray chamber as for maintenance purposes.

3. The construction of claim 1 in which said seat portion is pivotally secured to said seat portion along the back side thereof to provide for tilting to a vertical position.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. I 3,900,902 DATED I August 26, 1975 lN N O 1 Louis Jarosinski A It is certifi ed that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, Line 7, Before "having" insert --5-;

Column 4, Line 15, After "said" insert first named---;

(Claim 1) Column 4, Line 22, After "said" insert second named;

(Claim 2) Column 4, Line 25, After "said" insert second named-;

' (Claim 3) Column 4, Line 26, After "said" insert first named--.

(Claim 3) Signed and Scalcd this twent th' d a [SEAL] y H D yof December1975 A ttest:

RUTH C. MASON Commissioner ufPatents and Trademarks 

1. A bath seat adapted to be incorporated in a shower or tub bath construction, and comprising a generally horizontal sitz bath seat having a central opening therein and a slot extending forwardly from said opening, a front skirt extending downwardly from said seat portion to the floor of the bath with a central slot registering with said first named slot and extending downwardly to provide an overflow at its lower edge, a displaceable perforate seat portion generally covering the opening in said seat and having a forwardly extending closure member for the slots in said seat and said skirt and with the lower edge of said closure member spaced from the lower edge of said skirt slot to provide said overflow, a pan beneath said seat portion and generally sealed therewith to provide a bowl and spray chamber below the seat with said skirt constituting the front wall of the bowl, a spray head in said spray chamber, and stopper controlled separate drain openings for said spray chamber and the bath connected to a common drain.
 2. The construction of claim 1 in which said seat portion is removable to provide access to said spray chamber as for maintenance purposes.
 3. The construction of claim 1 in which said seat portion is pivotally secured to said seat portion along the back side thereof to provide for tilting to a vertical position. 